Sakerhetspolisen

The Swedish security service protecting against espionage and terrorism

Overview

Sakerhetspolisen, written with an umlaut and known as Sapo, protects Sweden against espionage, terrorism, and threats to the constitutional order. Its roots lie in early twentieth century police work, it long operated within the national police, and it became an independent agency in 2015. During the Cold War it countered extensive Soviet bloc activity against Swedish defenses. Swedish NATO accession in 2024 expanded its counterintelligence mission, and it cooperates closely with the other Nordic services. It publishes annual security assessments describing the threat picture facing the country.